If you read my latest food roundup, you already know to expect today’s feature on Morcilla. This was easily THE BEST dining experience I’ve had in Pittsburgh thus far, and I can’t recommend them enough. Located in Lawrenceville, this gem’s known for their incredible Spanish cuisine, with the amazing chef Justin Severino at the helm.
Expect impeccable service, great ambiance and ridiculously tasty food. I love exploring new places with my mom. She’s normally picky when it comes to restaurants, but she absolutely loved Morcilla! In fact, so much so, she suggested we go back a few days later; this time, bringing my pops so he could get in on the deliciousness as well.
Everything sounded really good, but we wanted to sample different dishes so we decided to split various “small plates” this time ’round. Here’s everything we got:
- Gambas en Escabeche: shrimp, espelette aioli, fennel & carrot escabeche, baguette
- Setas a la Plancha: oyster mushrooms, egg yolk, shallot, bread
- Roasted Honeynut Squash: tahini verde, peanut dukkah, date molasses
- Pulpo a la Plancha: octopus, brown butter potato fondue, pimenton, olive oil
- Costillas de la Matanza: baby back pork ribs, harissa honey, za’atar, tomato lebneh
Just wow. It was all so, SO good. I normally have a favorite or two I can highlight, but I truly enjoyed everything I had that evening. I definitely can’t wait to go back and try more of their menu. I have my eye on their duck confit, oxtail montadito, foie blonde and the surryano ham…in addition to whatever repeats I want.
Everything really was amazing, but if I HAD to limit my recommendations to a few dishes, I’d say the octopus, squash and ribs. My god the ribs were crazy (melt-in-your mouth tender with seasoning on point), and the pulpo was so damn tender. I swear I could’ve bathed in that potato puree it was so scrumptious. The food was the epitome of comfort, and it’s something I will absolutely crave. I’m already looking forward to my next meal there.
My mom and I LOVE dessert so of course we ended our meal on a sweet note. They have both churros AND cheesecake so the logical move was to get both. Obviously. The churros are made-to-order, so they’re pipin’ hot from being freshly fried, and they come in this warm, decadent chocolate sauce. What’s not to love?
The basque cheesecake came with a beautiful berry puree, and it was rich yet fluffy and light all at the same time. We both mmmm’d and ahhhh’d as we enjoyed, commenting on how this was some of the best cheesecake we’ve ever had. Really though. What a way to end a flawless meal.
A huge thanks to chef Justin and his team for the standout experience. PS. He’s the master of curing meat so make sure you check out Salty Pork Bits as well. You’re welcome in advance.
